The series centers on Link, the playable character and protagonist. Link is often given the task of rescuing Princess Zelda and Hyrule from Ganon, who is the primary antagonist of the series. However, other settings and antagonists have appeared throughout the games, with Vaati being a strong secondary antagonist during the lifespan of the Game Boy Advance. The stories commonly involve a relic known as the Triforce, a set of three omnipotent golden triangles. The protagonist in each game is usually not the same incarnation of Link, but a few exceptions do exist. One of these exceptions include Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, in which the same Link is portrayed.

The Legend of Zelda series consists of 17 official games on all of Nintendo's major consoles, as well as several spin-offs. An American animated series based on the games aired in 1989, and individual manga adaptations which are officially endorsed and commissioned by Nintendo have been produced in Japan since 1997. As of 2011[update], the series had sold over 67 million copies.

The Legend of Zelda games feature a mixture of puzzles, action, adventure/battle gameplay, and exploration. These elements have remained constant throughout the series, but with refinements and additions featured in each new game. Later games in the series also include stealth gameplay, where the player must avoid enemies while proceeding through a level, as well as racing elements. Although the games can be beaten with a minimal amount of exploration and side quests, the player is frequently rewarded with helpful items or increased abilities for solving puzzles or exploring hidden areas. Some items are consistent and appear many times throughout the series (such as bombs and bomb flowers, which can be used both as weapons and to open blocked or hidden doorways; boomerangs, which can kill or paralyze enemies; keys for locked doors; magic swords, shields, and bows and arrows), while others are unique to a single game. Though the games contain many role-playing elements (Zelda II is the only one to include an experience system), they emphasize straightforward hack and slash-style combat over the strategic, turn-based or active time combat of games like Final Fantasy. The game's role-playing elements, however, have led to much debate over whether or not the Zelda games should be classified as action role-playing games, a genre on which the series has had a strong influence.[1]

Every game in the main Zelda series has consisted of three principal areas: an overworld in which movement is multidirectional, allowing the player some degree of freedom of action; areas of interaction with other characters (merely caves or hidden rooms in the first game, but expanding to entire towns and cities in subsequent games) in which the player gains special items or advice; and dungeons, areas of labyrinthine layout, usually underground, comprising a wide range of difficult enemies, bosses, and items. Each dungeon usually has one major item inside, which is usually essential for solving many of the puzzles within that dungeon and often plays a crucial role in defeating that dungeon's boss, as well as progressing through the game. In nearly every Zelda game, navigating a dungeon is aided by locating a map, which reveals its layout, and a magic compass, which reveals the location of significant and smaller items such as keys and equipment. In later games, the series includes a special "big key" that would unlock the door to battle the dungeon's boss enemy and open the item chest.

In most Zelda games, the player's life meter is represented as a line of hearts. The life meter is replenished a number of different ways, including picking up hearts left by some defeated enemies, fairies or springs located in specific locations, or using an item such as a potion. Most games feature "heart containers" as the prize for defeating the final boss of a dungeon and "pieces of heart" for completing certain side quests or found in hidden chests; heart containers extend the life meter by one heart, and receiving a varied number of pieces of heart (On average four pieces) do the same as a heart container. Both will completely replenish your health.

The games pioneered a number of features that were to become industry standards. The original Legend of Zelda was the first console game with a save function that enabled players to stop playing and then resume later. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time introduced a targeting system that simplified 3D combat.

Koji Kondo (who has been described as the "greatest legend in the video game audio industry" because of his work for Nintendo),[2] has composed much of the music for the series, although the last game for which he was solely responsible for the composition of the soundtrack was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.[2]

Games in The Legend of Zelda series frequently feature in-game musical instruments, particularly in musical puzzles, which are widespread.[3] Often, instruments trigger game events: for example, the recorder in The Legend of Zelda can reveal secret areas, as well as warp Link to the Dungeon entrances. This warping with music feature has also been used in A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening. In Ocarina of Time, playing instruments is a core part of the game, the player needing to play the instrument through the use of the game controller to succeed.[4]Ocarina of Time is "[one of the] first contemporary non-dance title[s] to feature music-making as part of its gameplay",[5] using music as a heuristic device and requiring the player to utilise songs to progress in the game[6] – a game mechanic that is also present in Majora's Mask.[7]

"The Legend of Zelda Theme" is a recurring piece of music that was created for the first game of the franchise. The composer, Koji Kondo, initially planned to use Maurice Ravel's Boléro as the game's title theme, but was forced to change it when he learned, late into the game's development cycle, that the copyright for Boléro had not expired yet; therefore he wrote a new arrangement of the overworld theme within one day.[8] The "Zelda Theme" has topped ScrewAttack's "Top Ten Videogame Themes Ever" list.[9]

To date, the Legend of Zelda series has avoided using voice actors in speaking roles, relying instead on written dialogue (although Link and other characters do make shouts and other, mostly non-verbal, sounds). The producer of Skyward Sword has said that, as Link is entirely mute, having the other characters speak while Link remains silent would be off-putting.[10]

The Legend of Zelda was principally inspired by Shigeru Miyamoto's explorations as a young boy in the hillsides surrounding his childhood home in Sonobe, Japan where he ventured into forests with secluded lakes, caves, and rural villages. According to Miyamoto, one of his most memorable experiences was the discovery of a cave entrance in the middle of the woods. After some hesitation, he apprehensively entered the cave, and explored its depths with the aid of a lantern. Miyamoto has referred to the creation of the Zelda games as an attempt to bring to life a "miniature garden" for players to play with in each game of the series.[11]

Hearing of American novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife Zelda, Miyamoto thought the name sounded "pleasant and significant".[12] Paying tribute, he chose to name the princess after her, and titled his creation The Legend of Zelda.

According to the in-game backstories, the world of Hyrule was created by the three golden goddesses: Din, Farore and Nayru.[13] Before departing, the goddesses left a sacred artifact called the Triforce, which could grant the wishes of the user. It consisted of three golden triangles that each embodies one of the goddesses' virtues: Power, Courage and Wisdom.[14] However, because the Triforce had no will of its own,[15] it could not judge between good and evil, and so would grant any wish indiscriminately.[16][17] Because of this, it was placed within an alternate world called the "Sacred Realm" or the "Golden Land" until one worthy of its power could obtain it. The Sacred Realm can itself be affected by the heart of those who enter it: those who are pure will make it a paradise, while those who are evil will transform it into a dark realm.[18]

In Skyward Sword, the Triforce was sought by a demon named Demise,[19] and after a long battle, Demise was sealed away within the Temple of the goddess Hylia, guardian of the Triforce.[14][20] Hylia, placing the Hylians on a floating island (called Skyloft) in the sky to protect them, orchestrated a means to stop the demon from escaping: creating the Goddess Sword (later becoming the Master Sword) for her chosen hero[21] and discarding her divinity to be reborn among the people of Skyloft.[22] In time, Zelda and Link (the reborn Hylia and her predestined warrior), enacted the goddess' plan and Demise was destroyed. However, Demise vowed that his rage would be reborn and forever plague those descended from Link and Zelda.[23] That prophecy came to fruition in Ocarina of Time, when Ganondorf's attempt to get the Triforce scattered it with him gaining the Triforce of Power. The Triforce of Wisdom ended up with the Hylian princesses descended from Zelda, each named after her, while the Triforce of Courage is passed to a youth named Link across generations.

While the Triforces of Power and Wisdom have been part of the series since the original The Legend of Zelda, it was only in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link that the Triforce of Courage was first introduced, being obtained by Link at the end of his quest. The Triforce, or even a piece of it, is not always distributed as a whole. Such as in The Wind Waker, Link must find all the pieces (called Triforce Shards) of the Triforce of Courage before he can return to Hyrule. Even in the original The Legend of Zelda, Zelda breaks her Triforce of Wisdom into 8 pieces for Link to find, before she was captured by Ganon. The fictional universe established by the Zelda games sets the stage for each adventure. Many games take place in lands with their own back-stories. Termina, for example, is a parallel world[24] while Koholint is an island far away from Hyrule that appears to be part of a dream.[25]

The chronology of the Legend of Zelda series was subject of much debate among fans until an official timeline was released on December 21, 2011, within the collector's book Hyrule Historia, which was originally exclusive to Japan and was later released in the United States.[26][27] Prior to its release, producers confirmed the existence of a confidential document, which connected all the games.[28][29] Certain materials and developer statements once partially established an official timeline of the released installments. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is a direct sequel to the original The Legend of Zelda, and takes place several years later.[30][31] The third game, A Link to the Past, is a prequel to the first two titles,[32][33][34] and is directly followed by Link's Awakening.[35][36]Ocarina of Time is a prequel that takes the story many centuries back; according to character designer Satoru Takizawa, it was meant to implicitly tell the Imprisoning War from the manual of A Link to the Past, with Majora's Mask directly following its ending.[37][38]Skyward Sword is then a prequel to Ocarina of Time.[39]Twilight Princess is set more than 100 years after Ocarina of Time.[40][41]

The Wind Waker is parallel, and takes place in the other timeline branch, more than a century after the adult era of Ocarina of Time.[40][41]Phantom Hourglass is a continuation of the story from The Wind Waker,[42] and is followed by Spirit Tracks, which is set about 100 years later on a supercontinent far away from the setting of The Wind Waker.[43] At the time of its release, Four Swords for the Game Boy Advance was considered the oldest tale in the series' chronology, with Four Swords Adventures set sometime after its events.[44]The Minish Cap precedes the two games, telling of the origins of villain Vaati and the creation of the Four Sword.[45]A Link Between Worlds takes place six generations after Link to the Past. Important events that occur in the game include the Triforce being reunited, and Ganon being resurrected.[46]

Nintendo's 2011 timeline announcement subsequently posits that following Ocarina of Time, the timeline splits into three alternate routes: in one, Link fails to defeat Ganon, leading into A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons & Oracle of Ages, Link's Awakening, A Link Between Worlds, The Legend of Zelda and Adventure of Link. In the second and third, Link is successful, leading to a timeline split between his childhood (When Zelda sends him back in time to tell the Zelda in the past of the horrifying fate of Hyrule) and adulthood (Where the Zelda from the future lives on to try and rebuild the kingdom). His childhood continues with Majora's Mask, followed by Twilight Princess and Four Swords Adventures. The timeline from his adult life continues into Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks.

In the early 2000s, Nintendo of America released a timeline on Zelda.com, the official website of the Legend of Zelda series, which interpreted all stories up to the Oracle games as the adventures of a single protagonist named Link.[47] At one point, translator Dan Owsen and his coworkers at Nintendo of America had conceived another complete timeline and intended to make it available online. However, the Japanese series developers vetoed the idea so the timeline would be kept open to the interpretation of the players.[48]

The protagonist of The Legend of Zelda series, Link is the name of various young men who characteristically wear a green tunic and a pointed cap. In most games, the player can give Link a different name before the start of the adventure, and he will be referred by that given name throughout by the NPCs.[49] Each Link is described on the series' official website as humble, hardworking and brave, and therefore appropriate to bear the Triforce of Courage. The various Links each have a special title, such as "Hero of Time", "Hero of the Winds" or "Hero chosen by the gods". Link is left-handed, with two exceptions. In the Wii version of Twilight Princess, Link is right-handed due to the "mirroring" used to accommodate the right-handed control scheme,[50] which flips the entire game world's layout from that of its Nintendo GameCube counterpart. Link is right-handed in the title Skyward Sword for the same reason. In the manual for the original game, he is depicted as being right-handed, and in the game itself, Link is seen as ambidextrous because whether he is facing left or right, his sword is in the "down screen side". Like many silent protagonists in video games, Link does not speak, only producing grunts, yells, or similar sounds. Despite the player not seeing the dialogue, it is referenced second-hand by in-game characters, showing that he is not, in fact, mute. Link is shown as a silent protagonist so that the audience is able to have their own thoughts as to how their Link would answer the characters instead of him having scripted responses.

Princess Zelda is the princess of Hyrule and the guardian of the Triforce of Wisdom. Her name is present in many of her female ancestors and descendants. While most titles require Link to save Zelda from Ganon, she sometimes plays a supporting role in battle, using magical powers and weapons such as Light Arrows to aid Link. With the exception of the CD-i games (which were not official Nintendo games), she was not playable in the main series until Spirit Tracks, where she becomes a spirit and can possess a Phantom Knight that can be controlled by the player. Zelda appears under various other aliases and alter egos, including Sheik (in Ocarina of Time) and Tetra (in The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass). In Skyward Sword, it is revealed that the Zelda of that game is a reincarnation of the goddess Hylia, whose power flows through the royal bloodline. Shigeru Miyamoto used the name "Zelda" from American novelist Zelda Fitzgerald.

Ganon, also known as Ganondorf in his humanoid form, is the main antagonist and the final boss in the majority of Zelda games. In the series, Ganondorf is the leader of a race of desert brigands called the Gerudo, which consists entirely of female warriors save for one man born every one hundred years. He is significantly taller than other human NPCs, but his looks vary between games. His specific motives vary from game to game, but most often they include him kidnapping Princess Zelda and planning to achieve domination of Hyrule and presumably the world beyond it. To this end, he seeks the Triforce, a powerful magical relic. He often possesses a portion of the Triforce called the Triforce of Power, which gives him great strength. However, it is often not enough to accomplish his ends, leading him to hunt the remaining Triforce pieces. Unlike Link, Zelda, and most other recurring characters, he is actually the same person in every game, with the exception of Four Swords Adventures, where he is a reincarnation of the original. In each game the battles with him are different and he fights using different styles. The game Skyward Sword indicates that Ganon is a reincarnation of an evil deity known as Demise.

The first Legend of Zelda game appeared on the Famicom Disk System in 1986. It was later converted into a cartridge game for the American NES.

The Legend of Zelda, the first game of the series, was first released in Japan on February 21, 1986, on the Famicom Disk System.[51] A cartridge version, using battery-backed memory, was released in the United States on August 22, 1987, and Europe on November 27, 1987. The game features a "Second Quest," accessible either upon completing the game, or by registering one's name as "ZELDA" when starting a new quest. The Second Quest features different dungeons and item placement, and more difficult enemies.[52]

In 1994, near the end of the Famicom's lifespan, the original Famicom game was re-released in cartridge format.[55] A modified version, BS Zelda no Densetsu, was released for the Super Famicom's satellite-based expansion, Satellaview, on August 6, 1995, in Japan. A second Satellaview title, BS Zelda no Densetsu MAP2 was released for the Satellaview on December 30, 1995. Both titles featured rearranged dungeons, an altered overworld, and new voice-acted plot-lines.[56]

The next game, Link's Awakening, is the first Zelda for Nintendo's Game Boyhandheld, and the first set outside Hyrule and to exclude Princess Zelda. It was released in 1993, and re-released, in full colour, as a launch title for the Game Boy Color in 1998 as Link's Awakening DX. This re-release features additions such as an extra colour-based dungeon and a photo shop that allows interaction with the Game Boy Printer.

After another hiatus, the series made the transition to 3D with Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64, which was released in November 1998. This game, initially known as Zelda 64, retains the core gameplay of the previous 2D games, and was very successful commercially and critically. It ranks highly on IGN and EGM's "greatest games of all time" lists, and scored perfect scores in several video game publications.[57] In February 2006, it was ranked by Nintendo Power as the best game released for a Nintendo console.[58] The game was originally developed for the poorly selling, Japanese-only Nintendo 64DD, but was ported to cartridge format when the 64DD hardware was delayed.[59] A new gameplay mechanic, lock-on targeting (called "Z-targeting" as that is the controller button used), is used in the game, which focuses the camera on a nearby target and alters the player's actions relative to that target.[60] Such mechanics allow precise sword fighting in a 3D space. The game heavily uses context-sensitive button play, which enabled the player to control various actions with Link using only one button on the Nintendo 64's game pad. Each action was handled slightly differently but all used the 'A' button to perform. For instance, standing next to a block and pressing 'A' made Link grab it (enabling him to push/pull it), but moving forwards into a block and pressing 'A' allowed Link to climb the block. The 'B' button was used only as an attack button. The game featured the first appearance of Link's horse, Epona, allowing Link to travel quickly across land and fire arrows from horseback. Those who preordered the game received a gold-coloured cartridge in a limited edition box with a golden plastic card affixed, reading "Collector's Edition".[61] In some stores that had this "Collector's Edition" quickly sold out, a small and rare Zelda pin was given instead. It is the sword and shield emblem with "Zelda" written on it. Very few of them are known to remain.

Ocarina of Time '​s follow-up, Majora's Mask, was released in April 2000. It uses the same 3Dgame engine as the previous game,[65] and added a time-based concept, in which Link, the protagonist, relives the events of three days as many times as needed to complete the game's objectives. It was originally called Zelda Gaiden,[66] a Japanese title that translates as Zelda Side story. Gameplay changed significantly; in addition to the time-limit, Link can use masks to transform into creatures with unique abilities. While Majora's Mask retains the graphical style of Ocarina of Time, it is also a departure, particularly in its atmosphere. It features motion-blur, unlike its predecessor. The game is darker,[65] dealing with death and tragedy in a manner not previously seen in the series, and has a sense of impending doom, as a large moon slowly descends upon the land of Termina to destroy all life. All copies of Majora's Mask are gold cartridges. A limited "Collector's Edition" lenticular cartridge label was offered as the pre-order incentive. Copies of the game that are not collector's editions feature a normal sticker cartridge label. Majora's Mask is included in the Collector's Edition,[63] and is available on the Virtual Console.

The next two games, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, were released simultaneously for the Game Boy Color, and interact using passwords[67] or a Game Link Cable.[68] After one game has been completed, the player is given a password that allows the other game to be played as a sequel.[67] They were developed by Flagship in conjunction with Nintendo, with supervision from Miyamoto. After the team experimented with porting the original The Legend of Zelda to the Game Boy Color, they decided to make an original trilogy[69] to be called the "Triforce Series".[70] When the password system linking the three games proved too troublesome, the concept was reduced to two games at Miyamoto's suggestion.[71] These two games became Oracle of Ages, which is more puzzle-based, and Oracle of Seasons, which is more action-oriented.[72]

When Nintendo revealed the GameCube on August 24, 2000, the day before Nintendo's SpaceWorld 2000 exposition,[73] a software demonstration showed a realistically styled real-time duel between Ganondorf and Link. Fans and the media speculated that the battle might be from a Zelda game in development.[74] At Spaceworld 2001, Nintendo showed a cel-shadedZelda title, later released as The Wind Waker in December 2002. Due to poor reception, nothing further was shown until a playable demonstration was ready. Miyamoto felt The Wind Waker would "extend Zelda '​s reach to all ages",.[75][76] The gameplay centres on controlling wind with a baton called the "Wind Waker" and sailing a small boat around an island-filled ocean, retaining similar gameplay mechanics as the previous 3D games in the series.

Following the release of The Wind Waker came The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition, which included the original The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and a demo of The Wind Waker. GameSpot noted that Majora's Mask suffered from a frame rate which appeared choppier and inconsistencies in the audio.[77] This compilation was never sold commercially, and originally could only be obtained by purchasing a GameCube bundled with the disc,[78][79] (in North America, Europe and Australia), by registering a GameCube and two games at Nintendo.com,[78] or by subscribing or renewing a subscription to Nintendo Power (in North America) or Club Nintendo in Sweden.[78] In the UK, 1000 copies were made available through the Club Nintendo Stars Catalogue program.[79] After these were quickly claimed, Nintendo gave a copy to customers who mailed in proof of purchases from select Nintendo GameCube games.[79]

The next game released in the series was Four Swords Adventures for the GameCube, which was released in early 2004 in Japan and America, and January 2005 in Europe. Based on the handheld Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures was another deviation from previous Zelda gameplay, focusing on level-based and multiplayer gameplay. The game contains 24 levels and a map screen; there is no connecting overworld. For multiplayer features, each player must use a Game Boy Advance system linked to the Nintendo GameCube via a Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance cable. The game features a single-player campaign, in which using a Game Boy Advance is optional.

Four Swords Adventures includes two gameplay modes: "Hyrulean Adventure", with a plot and gameplay similar to other Zelda games, and "Shadow Battle", in which multiple Links, played by multiple players, battle each other. The Japanese and Korean versions include an exclusive third segment, "Navi Trackers" (originally designed as the stand-alone game "Tetra's Trackers"), which contains spoken dialogue for most of the characters, unlike other games in The Legend of Zelda series.

In November 2004 in Japan and Europe, and January 2005 in America, Nintendo released The Minish Cap for the Game Boy Advance. In The Minish Cap Link can shrink in size using a mystical, sentient hat named Ezlo. While shrunk, he can see previously explored parts of a dungeon from a different perspective, and enter areas through otherwise-impassable openings.

In November 2006, Twilight Princess was released as the first Zelda game on the Wii, and later, in December 2006, as the last official Nintendo game for the Nintendo GameCube, the console for which it was originally developed. The Wii version features a reversed world where everything that is in the west on the GameCube is in the east on the Wii, and vice versa. The display is mirrored in order to make Link right-handed, to make use of the Wii remote feel more natural. The game chronicles the struggle of an older Link to clear the troubles of the interacting "Twilight Realm", a mysterious force that appears around Hyrule. When he enters this realm, he is transformed into a wolf, and loses the ability to use his sword, shield or other items, but gains other abilities such as sharpened senses from his new form. Twilight Princess includes an incarnation of Link's horse, Epona, for fast transportation, and features mounted battle scenarios including boss battles that were not seen in previous titles. Twilight Princess diverted from the cel shading of Wind Waker and went for graphics featuring more detailed textures, giving the game a darker atmosphere, thus making it feel more adult than previous games.

At the 2006 Game Developers Conference, a trailer for Phantom Hourglass for the Nintendo DS was shown. It revealed traditional top-down Zelda gameplay optimised for the DS' features, with a cel-shaded 3d graphical style similar to The Wind Waker. At E3 2006, Nintendo confirmed the game's status as a direct sequel to The Wind Waker,[80] and released an extensive playable demo, including a multiplayer mode with "capture the flag" elements. Phantom Hourglass was released on June 23, 2007, in Japan, October 1, 2007, in North America and October 19, 2007, in Europe.

The next Legend of Zelda for the DS, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, was released December 7, 2009, in North America and December 11, 2009, in the UK. In this game, the 'spirit tracks', railroads which chain an ancient evil, are disappearing from Hyrule. Zelda and Link go to the 'Spirit Tower' (the ethereal point of convergence for the tracks) to find out why. But villains steal Zelda's body for the resurrection of the Demon King. Rendered disembodied, Zelda is left a spirit, and only Link (and a certain few sages) can see her. Together they go on a quest to restore the spirit tracks, defeat the Demon King, and return Zelda to her body. Using a modified engine of that used in Phantom Hourglass, the notably new feature in this game is that the Phantom Guardians seen in Phantom Hourglass are, through a series of events, periodically controllable. It was the first time in the series that both Link & Zelda work together on the quest.

In April 2008, Miyamoto stated that "the Zelda team is forming again to work on new games".[81] Miyamoto clarified in July that the Zelda team had been working on a new Zelda game for the Wii.[82] In January 2010, Nintendo Executive Satoru Iwata stated that the game would be coming out at some time in 2010, and confirmed that the game would make use of the Wii's MotionPlus feature, which had been announced too late to be integrated into the Twilight Princess Wii release. The game's subtitle was announced at E3 in 2010 as Skyward Sword, but its release was delayed to 2011.[83] The game, the earliest in the Legend of Zelda timeline, reveals the origins of Hyrule, Ganon and many elements featured in previous games. It was released on November 20, 2011; the first run included a 25th Anniversary CD of fully orchestrated music from various Zelda games, including Skyward Sword.

In addition, Nintendo celebrated the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda game by releasing a Zelda game for all its current consoles in 2011: Link's Awakening in the 3DS's Virtual Console on June 7, Ocarina of Time 3D for the 3DS in mid-June, Four Swords Anniversary Edition[84] on September 28, 2011 to February 20, 2012 as a free DSiWare download and Skyward Sword for the Wii, which was released on November 18, 2011 in Europe, November 20, 2011 in the United States and November 24, 2011 in Australia. A limited edition Zelda 25th anniversary 3DS was released on December 1, 2011 in Australia.[85]

Nintendo showcased a demo reel at E3 2011 which depicted Link fighting a monster in HD.[88] In late January 2013, Nintendo revealed that an unnamed Zelda title is being planned for the Wii U.[89] The game was officially teased on June 10, 2014 at E3 and scheduled for release in 2015.[90]

A series of video games were developed and released for the PhilipsCD-i in the early 1990s as a product of a compromise between Philips and Nintendo, after the companies failed to develop a CD-based peripheral for the Super NES. Created independently with no observation by or influence from Nintendo, the games are Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, and Zelda's Adventure. Nintendo never acknowledged them in the Zelda timeline, and they are considered to be in a separate, self-contained canon.

There have been several titles in The Legend of Zelda series that have never been released for various reasons. One such title was The Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Courage for Game Boy Color. When Yoshiki Okamoto worked to develop Zelda titles for the Game Boy Color, his Capcom team decided to create a series of three games.[91] Referred to as the "Triforce Series",[92] the games were known as The Legend of Zelda: The Mysterious Acorn: Chapter of Power, Chapter of Wisdom, and Chapter of Courage in Japan[93] and The Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Power, Mystical Seed of Wisdom, and Mystical Seed of Courage in the US.[94] The games were to interact using a password system,[92] but the limitations of this system and the difficulty of coordinating three games proved too complicated, so the team scaled back to two titles at Miyamoto's suggestion.[95][96]The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons was adapted from Mystical Seed of Power, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages was adapted from Mystical Seed of Wisdom, and Mystical Seed of Courage was canceled.[92] Another title is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Ura, intended to be an expansion disk for Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64DD. The game was not released as the N64DD was never sold outside of Japan due to poor sales. Prior to the release of The Wind Waker, a bonus disc called The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest was released, containing an official N64 Emulator that only ran the two ROMs on the disc which were versions of Ocarina of Time and Ocarina of Time Master Quest with a number of GUI textures and text modified to reflect the Nintendo GameCube.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series, Nintendo of America originally had planned to release a compilation of titles together for the Wii, similar to the collector's edition disc released for the GameCube in 2003. However Nintendo of Japan's president Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto eventually disagreed in releasing it believing it would be too similar to the Super Mario 25th Anniversary game released in 2010.[97]

At one point both Link and Samus from the Metroid series were planned to be playable characters for the Wii version of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. However, they didn't make the final release because they weren't Marvel characters.[98]

As the franchise has grown in popularity, several titles have been released that are set within or star a minor character from the universe of The Legend of Zelda but are not directly connected to the main The Legend of Zelda series. Both map versions of the title BS Zelda no Densetsu for the Satellaview (released in August and December 1995) could be considered spin-offs due to the fact that they star the "Hero of Light" (portrayed by either the Satellaview's male or female avatar) as opposed to Link as the protagonist of Hyrule. A third Satellaview title released in March 1997, BS Zelda no Densetsu Inishie no Sekiban (BS The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets) could also be considered a spin-off for the same reason. Other spin-off titles include Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland for the Nintendo DS – an RPG released in September 2006 in Japan (Summer of 2007 in the UK) to star supporting character Tingle. A second Tingle title is Tingle's Balloon Fight DS for the Nintendo DS. Here Tingle again stars in this spin-off arcade style platformer, released in April 2007 only in Japan and available solely to Platinum Club Nintendo members. In addition to titles in which Link does not star as the protagonist, games such as the shooter title, Link's Crossbow Training (for the Wii), have been considered spin-offs due to the lack of a traditional "Save Hyrule" plot-line. Released in November 2007 as a bundle with the Wii Zapper, this game allows players to assume the identity of Link as he progresses through a series of tests to perfect his crossbow marksmanship. Color Changing Tingle's Love Balloon Trip was released in Japan in 2009 as a sequel to Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland. Hyrule Warriors, the cross-over game between Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series, and Tecmo Koei's Dynasty Warriors series was announced for the Nintendo Wii U video game system on December 18, 2013 and was released in North America in September 26, 2014.

Characters from and references to The Legend of Zelda series have appeared in a variety of other video games that go beyond what is considered a typical cameo appearance. This may include major story elements, character development, and even affect major game features.

Link appears as an exclusive fighter in the GameCube version of Soulcalibur II.

Link appears as a playable character in Mario Kart 8 via downloadable content, along with a "Hyrule Circuit" racetrack themed on The Legend of Zelda series.[99] The first pack is named after the series.

In Sonic Lost World, a DLC stage based on The Legend of Zelda series was released on March 27, 2014, named "The Legend of Zelda Zone". The stage features design elements from multiple entries in the Zelda series, including Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword. While built around the core gameplay mechanics of Sonic Lost World, "The Legend of Zelda Zone" incorporates some elements from the Zelda series, including a heart-based vitality meter, rupee collection, and a miniature dungeon to explore.[102]

A picture of the Link from the original NES game can be formed on World Star-1 in Super Mario 3D World by stepping on the buttons while defeating enemies.

Items based on The Legend of Zelda, including furniture, clothing, wallpaper, and carpeting, can be collected in each of the Animal Crossing games. Additionally, a fully playable version of the original The Legend of Zelda for NES can be accessed in the first Animal Crossing title through the use of a cheat device.

The Legend of Zelda franchise has sold over 67.93 million copies by 2011,[162] with the original The Legend of Zelda being the fourth best selling NES game of all time.[163][164] The series was ranked as the 64th top game (collectively) by Next Generation in 1996.[165] According to British film magazine Empire, with "the most vividly-realised world and the most varied game-play of any title on any console, Zelda is a solid bet for the best game series ever."[166]

The cover of the first edition of Nicholas Andrews's humorous fantasy novel, The Adventure Tournament (2011), is a parody of The Legend of Zelda title screen. The author states that it is fitting, since he was introduced to fantasy through the first The Legend of Zelda game.[172] Link's hat is referenced in the book as a possible piece of equipment for the main character, Remy, who rejects it on the grounds that it would make him look kind of like "a big green bean." He then brushes off a response that one of the world's greatest warriors wore a similar cap.

In episode six "Shawn, Interrupted" in season six of Psych, young Shawn remarks to his father that he is going upstairs to play Zelda.[176]

In an episode of Jeopardy! which aired on July 12, 2013, the title of the original game was the correct response to the clue in Final Jeopardy. The clue was a reference to Princess Zelda being named after Zelda Fitzgerald: "The title princess of this game, which launched a best-selling franchise, was named for F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife".

In an episode of The Goldbergs, Adam almost completed The Legend of Zelda, after much effort and left the room to get his camera. But, his brother unknowingly continued and finished the game, to Adam's anger. At the end of the episode, his brother makes it up to him by giving him a new copy of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and offered to play it together.

In The Amazing World of Gumball they make three references. The first reference takes place in The Promise when Gumball gets a game called The Tales of Zelmore, supposedly based on The Legend of Zelda. The second reference takes place in The Promise when he opens the game it makes the Zelda treasure chest sound. The third reference takes place in The Treasure when the light hits the chimney, they play the Zelda secret sound.

Video game creators

Ōkami director Hideki Kamiya states that he has been influenced by The Legend of Zelda series in developing the title.[177]

The developers of the game Dark Sector have stated they have been heavily influenced by The Legend of Zelda series, and that the structure of the game is much like a Zelda game.[178]

Fableseries creator Peter Molyneux stated that Twilight Princess is one of his favorite games. "I just feel it's jaw-dropping and its use of the hardware was brilliant. And I've played that game through several times," he said to TechRadar.[179]

A 13-episode animated series The Legend of Zelda (adapted by DiC and distributed by Viacom Enterprises) aired in 1989. The animated Zelda shorts were broadcast each Friday, instead of the usual Super Mario Bros. cartoon which was aired during the rest of the week. The series loosely follows the two NES Zelda games (Zelda and Link), mixing settings and characters from those games with original creations. The show's older incarnations of both Link and Zelda appear in various episodes of Captain N: The Game Master during its second season.

Valiant Comics released a short series of comics featuring characters and settings from the Zelda cartoon as part of their Nintendo Comics System line. In addition, manga have been created based on the many of the series' games, including A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, the Oracle series, Four Swords Adventures, The Minish Cap and Phantom Hourglass. These cartoons are usually not involved with the chronology of the actual games.

A number of official books, novels and gamebooks have been released based on the series as well. Earliest was Moblin's Magic Spear, published in 1989 by Western Publishing, Inc. under their Golden Books range and written by Jack C. Harris. It took place sometime during the first game. Two gamebooks were published as part of the Nintendo Adventure Books series by Archway, both written by Matt Wayne. The first was The Crystal Trap which focuses more on Zelda and the second titled The Shadow Prince, both released in 1992. A novel based on Ocarina of Time was released in 1999, written by Jason R. Rich and published by Sybex Inc. under their Pathways to Adventure series. Another two gamebooks were released as part of the You Decide on the Adventure series published by Scholastic. The first based on Oracle of Seasons released in 2001 and the second based on Oracle of Ages released in 2002, both written by Craig Wessel. In 2006, Scholastic released a novel as part of their Nintendo Heroes series, titled Link and the Portal of Doom. It was written by Tracey West and was set shortly after the events of Ocarina of Time.

In 2011, to coincide with the 25th Anniversary of the series, an art book was published exclusively in Japan under the name Hyrule Historia by Shogakukan. It contains concept art from the series's conception to the release of Skyward Sword in 2011, multiple essays about the production of the games, and revealed the series' overarching timeline, not explicitly stated in any of the games. It includes a prequel manga to Skyward Sword by Zelda manga duo Akira Himekawa. The book had an international release by Oregon-based publisher Dark Horse Comics on January 29, 2013,[181] and the book took the number one spot on Amazon's sales chart, taking the spot away from E.L James's 50 Shades of Grey trilogy.[182]

Taking place in Cologne, Germany, on September 23, 2010, the video game music concert Symphonic Legends focused on music from Nintendo and, among others, featured titles such as The Legend of Zelda. Following an intermission, the second half of the concert was entirely dedicated to an expansive symphonic poem dedicated to the series. The 35 minute epic tells the story of Link's evolution from child to hero.[183][184]

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series in 2011, Nintendo commissioned an original symphony, The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses. The show was originally performed in the Fall of 2011 in Los Angeles and consists of live performances of much of the music from the series.[185] It has since been scheduled for 18 shows so far throughout the United States and Canada.[185][186] Nintendo released a CD titled The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD. Featuring eight tracks from live performances of the symphony, the CD is included alongside the special edition of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Nintendo Wii.

In 2011, electronic artist Zedd released a dance-style track named "The Legend of Zelda" on iTunes. It features many of the 8-bit sounds from the original Zelda. Violinist Lindsey Stirling has released a single called "Zelda Medley" in 2011, along with a popular YouTube video in which she herself is dressed as Link.[187] She has done a Violin duet version of the song.

^Nintendo (November 21, 1998). "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time". Nintendo 64. Nintendo. Great Deku Tree: Before time began, before spirits and life existed... Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule... Din, the Goddess of Power... Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom... Farore, the Goddess of Courage... Din... With her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru... Poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore... With her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law.

^Nintendo, ed. (1992). The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past manual. Nintendo. p. 3.

^Nintendo (November 21, 1998). "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time". Nintendo 64. Nintendo. Zelda: If someone with a righteous heart makes a wish, it will lead Hyrule into a golden age of prosperity. If one with an evil mind has his wish granted, the world will be consumed by evil... That is what is foretold...

^Nintendo (November 21, 1998). "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time". Nintendo 64. Nintendo. Sheik: The resting place of the sacred triangle, the Sacred Realm, is a mirror that reflects what is in the heart...the heart of one who enters it... If an evil heart, the Realm will become full of evil; if pure, the Realm will become a paradise.

^Nintendo (November 18, 2011). "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword". Wii. Nintendo. Zelda: In his thirst to make the world his own, Demise readied a massive army of monsters for war. He sought to take the Triforce for himself by force.

^Nintendo (November 21, 1998). "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time". Nintendo 64. Nintendo. Introduction: Handed down by the gods of old, this power gave its holder the means to make any desire a reality. Such was the might of the ultimate power that the old ones placed it in the care of the goddess.

^Nintendo (November 18, 2011). "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword". Wii. Nintendo. Zelda: She made the spirit that resides in your sword to serve a single purpose: to assist her chosen hero on his mission.

^Nintendo (November 18, 2011). "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword". Wii. Nintendo. Zelda: Knowing this power was her last and only hope, the goddess gave up her divine powers and her immortal form.

^Nintendo (November 18, 2011). "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword". Wii. Nintendo. Demise: I will rise again. Those like you... Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero... They are eternally bound to this curse. An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!

^"Dengeki Nintendo 64". Dengeki Nintendo 64 (MediaWorks, Inc.). January 1999. Shigeru Miyamoto: (時オカ→神トラ)それから初代ときてリンクの冒険という順番になる。 / Ocarina of Time, A Link to the Past, then comes the original one and The Adventure of Link in turn.

^Nintendo, ed (1993). The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening instruction manual. Nintendo. pp. 3–4. "Though you fulfilled the Hyrulian prophecy of the Legendary Hero and destroyed the evil tyrant Ganon, the land of Hyrule enjoyed only a precarious peace. "Who knows what threats may arise from Ganon's ashes?" the restless people murmured as they knitted their brows and shook their heads. Ever vigilant, you decided to journey away from Hyrule on a quest for enlightenment, in search of wisdom that would make you better able to withstand the next threat to your homeland."

^The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Instruction Booklet. Nintendo of America, Inc. April 13, 1992. pp. 5–6. Many centuries have passed since the Imprisoning War.

^"「ゼルダの伝説時のオカリナ」の情報･産地直送!". Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun. November 26, 1998. Retrieved June 9, 2010. Satoru Takizawa: 今回のストーリーは本当のオリジナルではなくって、前作のスーパーファミコン���に出てきた「七賢者の封印戦争」を扱っているんだ / The story this time is not truly original, it's from the previous SNES version and tells of the "Seal War of the Seven Sages".

^Neil Long, Chris Scullion. "Game On – The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword". Official Nintendo Magazine (Future Publishing Limited) (July 2010): 51. Eiji Aonuma: I have already talked to Mr. Miyamoto about this so I am comfortable in releasing this information – this title [Skyward Sword] takes place before Ocarina of Time.

^ ab"Long interview with Eiji Aonuma". nindori.com. Nintendo DREAM. Feb 2007. Retrieved June 4, 2010. 『時のオカリナ』から百数年後の世界です。 ... 『風のタクト』はパラレルなんですよ。『時のオカリナ』でリンクが7年後の世界に飛んで、ガノンを倒すと、子ども時代に戻るじゃないですか。『トワイライトプリンセス』は、平和になった子ども時代から百数年後の世界なんです。 / It is a world 100 and something years after Ocarina of Time. ... The Wind Waker is parallel. In Ocarina of Time, Link leaps to a world seven years later, defeats Ganon, and then returns to the child era, right? Twilight Princess is the world 100 and something years after peace is restored in the child era.

^"Zelda: The interview!". Nintendo of Europe GmbH. November 17, 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2010. NoE: How does the Minish Cap fit into the Zelda chronology? Is it a prequel to the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures on GameCube? Aonuma: Yes, this title takes place prior to The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, and tells the secret of the birth of the Four Sword.[dead link]